Chapter 47: Chapter 47

Department Chief Jang Han-soo of the Hunter Management Bureau was taking a short coffee break in the lounge. Despite the recent surge in work, things weren’t too bad.

Kim Jia, a once well-known hunter, had recently risen sharply in fame. Her successes seemed to motivate high-ranking hunters to increase their activity significantly.

Not only high-ranking hunters, but hunters overall had been more active lately. Though this uptick had caused more incidents and kept him busier, it was still preferable to gate outbreaks from overdue dungeons.

“That was terrible…”

The chief recalled the past.

It was not long after the Great Cataclysm had occurred. Before the first American returnee released an invention, it was common for undiscovered dungeons to go berserk.

Inside a dungeon, hunters could gradually thin out the monsters that were scattered everywhere. But in a berserk dungeon, all monsters would flood out at once through the gate.

To prevent these situations from causing casualties, a massive number of hunters was required—at least 15, preferably 20, of the same rank. Meeting that number wasn’t easy, so the damages were always severe.

Compared to that time, though high-grade dungeons appeared more frequently now, things were much calmer.

“That is… assuming high-grade dungeons don’t go berserk.”

Thanks to hunters like Kim Jia, they managed. Still, dungeon clearances in rural areas were always on edge due to the shortage of high-ranking hunters in Korea, and even worldwide.

Despite the fatigue from the workload, the chief was thankful for the current atmosphere.

- Bzzzz...

"Hmm?"

Feeling a vibration in his pocket, the chief pulled out his smartphone. It was a message from a hunter he had been monitoring closely. He read it slowly.

*Chief, hello. This is Si-hyun. Could I bring an E-rank hunter along to a C-rank dungeon?*

It was a simple request. Guilds often made similar ones when training new recruits.

“This is perfect timing.”

The chief quickly ran through the details in his mind.

There was a particularly troublesome dungeon he’d been dealing with. In fact, he’d been taking a break in the lounge to clear his head over it. Perhaps Si-hyun could handle it.

With her level of skill and their rapport, he felt confident she would accept a request from him.

Having made up his mind, the chief called Si-hyun.

“...Hello?”

“Hello, Ms. Si-hyun. I’m calling regarding your message.”

After exchanging polite greetings, he got straight to the point.

“Your request to accompany the E-rank hunter to the C-rank dungeon is fine. But if I may, could I ask a favor in return?”

“A favor?”

“Yes, I don’t think it will be difficult for you.”

The chief summarized the situation to Si-hyun.

Recently, a large C-rank dungeon had appeared in Seoul. Two hunter parties of mostly C-rank hunters, totaling eight members, had been sent in. But one of the parties was wiped out, halting the progress.

“I don’t mean to pressure you by using your request as leverage. This is purely a request. What do you think?”

“Ah, I see.”

Her response was followed by a brief silence, signaling that she was considering his proposal.

The chief hoped she would agree.

Large dungeons were notorious among hunters—they often couldn’t be cleared in a single day due to their size.

Moreover, rumors had spread about this particular dungeon after one party was wiped out. As a result, it had become a “dungeon to avoid.”

Luckily, the surviving party had agreed to proceed with the hunt if they had the numbers.

If Ms. Si-hyun joined, they could easily clear the dungeon. In fact, she could probably handle it alone.

*Please… please…*

The chief stared at the lounge ceiling with bloodshot eyes.

One minute passed, though it felt like ten.

He took a long gulp of his coffee.

After what seemed like an eternity, he finally received her answer.

“I’m okay with it, but this isn’t a decision I can make alone. Could I discuss it and get back to you?”

“Of course! Please feel free to contact me whenever you’re ready.”

It was a positive response! The chief couldn’t hide his excitement, his lips curling upward.

Although it wasn’t a final answer, he now had a glimmer of hope for resolving the troublesome dungeon.

As the call ended, the chief left the lounge, his shoulders feeling noticeably lighter.

Smiling broadly, he returned to his office, glad he had maintained a solid relationship with her.

---

Si-yoon, who had been slumped over her desk, slowly raised her head. On her monitor, the words “Game Over” stood out in bold.

As soon as the opportunity arose, the chat erupted with glee.

- LOL

- Ah, again...

- She died again!

- LOL

- Really, LOL

Staring blankly at the chat in defeat, Si-yoon took a deep gulp of water.

“Everyone, I’ll be back after a quick bathroom break…”

After muting her mic, Si-yoon collapsed onto her bed. While streaming games like this occasionally delighted her viewers, each session felt like torture.

Especially now.

- Just dodge and aim properly, LOL

“Hrrmm…”

Even her own sister was joining in on the mental attacks, doubling the damage.

In everyday life, her sister never behaved this way. She even wrote sweet, thoughtful comments on Ttube videos. But once she entered live chat, her sister transformed, swayed by the audience’s vibe.

“What if she starts leaving weird comments, too…?”

It hadn’t started like this in the chat. She still kept some decorum, but Si-yoon couldn’t shake the worry that her sister might eventually become like any other viewer.

“Is this what they mean by the fall of a saint?”

Why did it have to start with *my* broadcast…?

Si-yoon punched her bed in frustration.

“Might as well head to the bathroom…”

With a deep sigh, she stood up.

As she walked into the living room, she noticed her sister talking on the phone. Naturally, the TV was set to the Momo Bin stream.

She let out another sigh as she went to the bathroom.

Then, an idea struck her.

*“Dodge and aim properly,” huh?*

Let’s see if she still thinks it’s so easy after trying it herself. She needs to understand my pain!

With a mischievous grin, Si-yoon approached her sister, who had just ended her call.

The game was cheap and had low system requirements—her sister’s work laptop could easily handle it.

“Hey, sis.”

“Hmm?”

Si-hyun looked up from her laptop as Si-yoon called out to her excitedly.

“Wanna try that game?”

She pointed to the TV. As Si-hyun looked, Si-yoon spoke quickly.

“I’ve played it before, and it’s surprisingly fun! The game isn’t expensive, so if you’re interested, maybe give it a try?”

“You’ve played it?”

Si-hyun’s eyes widened, surprised at the thought of her sister playing that game.

“Why, is it so weird that I tried it?”

“No, no, not at all.”

Si-yoon puffed up her cheeks, and Si-hyun hurriedly waved her hands to clarify.

“Isn’t it super hard, though? It must’ve been tough.”

“Yeah, it’s insanely difficult…”

Si-yoon swallowed her last words, not mentioning that she’d just been playing.

“Aren’t you curious to try it yourself?”

Si-yoon pressed, hoping that if her sister experienced the game’s difficulty firsthand, it might bring her “saintly” sister back to normal.

Si-yoon smiled, imagining Si-hyun realizing just how hard it was.

But then—

“Hehe, look at this.”

Si-hyun tilted her laptop so her sister could see the screen clearly. She scrolled down from an open document to her game library.

*What’s she showing me?*

Si-yoon watched her sister’s actions in silence.

Scrolling through the library, Si-hyun clicked on the game Si-yoon had just recommended.

*Wait, she’s already played it?*

Eyes wide, Si-yoon glanced at the playtime listed beside the game.

One hour and fifty minutes—just under the refund threshold.

Next, Si-hyun clicked on the achievements tab, showing the list to her sister with a proud expression.

“How’s that? Impressive, right?”

“Uh, uh…”

Her sister’s sparkling eyes stared at her, eagerly waiting for praise.

In disbelief, Si-yoon rubbed her eyes, then looked back at the screen.

Achievement completion: 85%.

The same achievements that had been driving her crazy on stream were nearly all completed. Only the tedious “repeat X times” achievements remained.

*Oh my god… what is this?*

She’d completed nearly all the achievements in just an hour and fifty minutes.

*And I’ve been at it for hours…*

It was a perfect defeat.

Her sister truly had the skill to say “just dodge and aim properly.” She had the right to tease her in chat—she wasn’t like the other viewers.

Looking away from the laptop, Si-yoon turned to her sister, who was still grinning and waiting for praise.

Feeling her cheek muscles twitch, she forced herself to speak.

“Amazing! You’re good at games, too!”

“I used to play a lot!”

Si-hyun beamed, placing her hands on her hips and standing tall with confidence.

Si-yoon’s gaze naturally shifted to her sister’s

proud expression. She looked down at herself, feeling yet another wave of defeat.

“Is there anything you’re not good at?”

“Hmm? Of course! There are plenty of things I’m bad at.”

Si-yoon looked at her sister with disbelief, but Si-hyun earnestly continued.

“I’m terrible at cooking, cleaning, and keeping things organized. Oh, and I’m clueless about fashion, too.”

As her sister listed off her weak points, a spark ignited in Si-yoon.

*There it is—the opening!*

With a firm hand on her sister’s shoulder, she looked at Si-hyun, who glanced back in surprise.

“Hey, sis.”

“Hm?”

“If there’s something you don’t know, isn’t it only right to learn?”

“Well, yeah…?”

Sensing something odd, Si-hyun’s eyes twitched slightly.

“Let’s work on your fashion sense, shall we?”@@novelbin@@

“…Uh, sure…”

Their expressions shifted: Si-yoon’s filled with triumph, while Si-hyun’s shoulders slumped in resignation.

With a satisfied smile, Si-yoon gave her sister a gentle pat on the shoulder before heading back to her room.

Settling into her chair, she basked in the small victory. Though she knew it was a mental victory, she chose to ignore that detail.

With a refreshed spirit, Si-yoon resumed her stream.

《Sorry for the delay! Let’s get back to it.》

That day, Momo Bin, having recovered her mental strength, completed the game and collected all the achievements.

---

After dinner, Si-hyun sent a message to her mentee, Ah-reum.

*Ah-reum, are you free the day after tomorrow?*

*Yes! I have plenty of time!*

Satisfied with her enthusiastic response, Si-hyun sent a follow-up message.

*I’m heading to a large C-rank dungeon with the Wing Guild members. Let’s go together and observe.*

The “1” on the message disappeared almost instantly, meaning Ah-reum had read it. However, the reply didn’t come immediately.

“Huh?”

Curious, Si-hyun grabbed a drink from the fridge. Only then did the response arrive.

*…Yes…*

It was a very unenthusiastic reply.